Water-tube heater



1,614,767 1927' c. F. H. ALMY v WATER TUBE HEATER Filed Dec. 19. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l o G o 0 2 2 0 Z 7 Y (I l v 10- PM I r A0 0 l Y J, 1 A 1 .r .1

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, 1,614,767 1927' c. F..H. ALMY WATER TUBE HEATER Filed Dec. 19 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN T0 R.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. H. AL'MY, OF EDGEWOOD, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO ALMY WATER- TUBE BOILER 00., OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

WATER-TUBE HEATER.

Application filed December 19, 1924. Serial No. 756,921.

This invention relates to water tube heat ers, more particularly adapted for heat ng dwelling houses and the like; and the ob]ect of this invention is to provide a heater of this character which may be formed in different units to facilitate transportation, and the passing of the different units through small spaces such as doors or windows into a cellar where they may be assembled.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a chamber drum or cylinder for the circulation of the heating medium such as water or steam and a pair of water tube units, each having upper and lower manifolds connected by a set of heating tubes, and the upper manifold being operatively and removably secured to theopposite sides of the chamber drum or cylinder.

A further object of this invention is that the heating tubes in each unit connecting the upper and lower manifolds thereof, are provided with a portion intermediate their ends with a plurality of superimposed return bends disposed in a line of parallel rows those of the opposite units extending inwardly towards each other over the fire box of the heater whereby when in such alignment a brush or other cleaning instrument may be passed between the folds of the return bend to readily clean the tubes so that its heating efficiency may not be impaired.

WVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my improved construction of water tube heater having a sheet metal casing.

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation illustrating the fire pot ofv the heater and the baflie plates arranged to cause the heat to take a zigzag course through the return bends in rising.

Figure 3 is a top view of the steam drum with the tubular units connected to either side thereof.

Figure 4 is a side-elevation showing the steam drum with the manifold of one of she tubular units removably connected to the rum.

Figure 5 is a front View of the steam drum and tubular units connected to opposite sides thereof.

Figure 6 is a front view showing a fragmental portion of a tubular water heater used in a hot water heating system in which style of heater a drum is employed of a diameter less than that shown in the steam heater.

Figure 7 shows a top view of a portion of one tubular section of the heater as connected to the circulating drum or chamber.

It is found in the operation of small sized dwelling house heaters and the like having steam and hot water heating systems, of advantage to provide a drum or circulating chamber and a pair of tubular units formed of piping, the upper and lower ends of the tubes being connected to manifolds and one end of each of the upper manifolds being removably connected to the upper chamber or drum, whereby the different units may be assembled in the shop for shipment and then these units constructed so as to be readily assembled in the place where the heater is to be set up, thereby permitting different units to be formed complete at the factory and when shipped to take up the minimum amount of space and each section being readily transported into the cellar of the home or other place to be assembled, and said sections assembled with the minimum amount of work required by an expert to make a complete heater which is highly eflicient in its operation; and the following is a detailed description of the present embodiment of my invention and showing one construction of heater by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:-

With reference to the drawings, 10 designates a steam drum or chamber which is supported in a longitudinal position and is provided adjacent its rear end with flanged openings -11 one on either side thereof, said flanges being riveted to the surface of the drum. The heating units of this generator are constructed with an upper manifold 12 and a lower manifold 13 which are connected by a set of upright tubes 14, the ends of the tubes being threaded into the opposite manifolds and the intermediate portions of each tube are provided with a plurality of superimposed return bends extending inwardly toward the vertical center of the drum or over the fire pot, and these return bends on each tube of each unit are arranged in horizontal alignment whereby an unob structed space 16 is left between each row of bends to permit a brush or other cleaning device to be freely passed through the front cleaning door ll of the heater through these different spaces to remove foreign matter from these tubes and keep them clean so as to maintain the maximum heating etliciency of the generator.

In the type shown the upper and lower manifolds 12 and 13 are in vertical alignment in each of these tubular units which units are located and are connected to opposite sides of the steam drum 10.

The front end of each of these upper manifolds may be closed by a plug 18 if desired and the rear end provided with an elbow 19 which is flanged at 20 on its inner end and this flange 20 is shown as being bolted to the flange 11 011 the drum, thereby permitting each of these tubular units to be readily connected to the side of the drum in assembling, and as readily disconnected when desired.

A water return or circulating pipe 21 is connected to the under side of the drum 10 and its branches 22 and 23 lead down into the T-fitting 2 1 in the opposite lower manifolds 13 so as to complete the circulation through the generator.

The steam thus generated may pass through pipe 25 from the top of the drum to the radiators or other elements not shown of the heating system and be returned through the pipe 26 into the lower manifold 13 of the heater.

These units are then incased in a sheet metal casing 27 which is lined with the usual fire brick 28 about the fire pct 29, the upper portion of the casing being preferably formed with a double wall 30 between which is deposited an asbestos lining 31. The casing is provided with a rear smoke outlet pipe 32 having a damper 33 mounted thereon, the same being positioned a substantial distance below the'top of the casing. A vertically disposed baffle plate 34 is positioned between this outlet and the return bends 15 of the tubes, and a longitudinally disposed baffle plate 35 is positioned in a space between these return bends to extend inwardly from the front of the casing, also another longitudinally disposed baffle plate 36 extends from the rear forwardly from the upper edge ofthe baflie plate 34 a space being left at the end of each whereby the burning gas and heat is caused to take a zigzag course in passing about the return bends and is conducted around beneath the drum where it is practically absorbed by the heating units, the remaining smoke plus gas being permitted to then pass out through smoke pipe 32.

In some instances where it is desired to heat water for a hot water heating system instead of forming steam for a steam heating system, I find that instead of en'iploying a large drum 10 I may employ a smaller drum 37 which connects the two opposite tubular units 38 which tubular units are connected as in the steam generator to upper and lower manifolds 39 and t0 the upper manifold being connected to the smaller drum or chamber 37 in other respects the steam and the hot water heaters are sub stantially the same. The off-take from said drum 37 is, as shows in Figure 7, the pipe which leads rearwardly from the T fitting at the end of this drum.

My improved tubular heater is very simple and practical in construction, is readily transported and the units assembled on the job and this heater so constructed is very efficient in its operation.

The foregoing description isdirected solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a water tube heater of the take-down type, a fire pot, a pair of separate water tube units located on opposite sides of the fire pot, each comprising upper and lower manifolds connected by a plurality of tubes, the tubes of each unit having their intermediate portions formed into a plurality of superimposed return bends and the bends of each unit extending inwardly toward each other, another unit of the heater comprising a drum positioned between the upper manifolds, said upper manifolds being free at one end and detachably connected at their opposite ends to opposite sides of said drum, and a downcomer leading from said drum to said lower manifolds.

2. In a water tube heater of the take-down type, a fire pot, a pair of separate water tube units located on opposite sides of the fire pot, each comprising upper and lower manifolds connected by a plurality of tubes, the tubes of each unit having their intermediate portions formed into a plurality of superimposed return bends, the bends of each unit extending inwardly toward each other, a drum between the upper manifolds, said upper manifolds being free at one end and detachably connected at their opposite ends to opposite sides of said drum, and a downcomer leading from said drum to said lower manifolds, and a sectional casing inclosing the steam generating parts and on which the free end of the drum is supported.

3. In a water tube heater, a fire pot, a pair of separate water tube units located on opposite sides of the fire ot, each comprising upper and lower mani olds connected by a plurality of tubes, each of said tubes having a riser portion leading from the bottom manifold and a plurality of superimposed return bends, the bends of each unit extending inwardly toward each other in aligned parallel rows over the fire pot to form a fire box, the ends of the tubes above the bends being connected to the upper manifolds, a drum between the upper manifolds, said upper manifolds being free at one end and detachably connected at their opposite ends to opposite sides of said drum, a downcomer leading from said drum to said lower manifolds, and a sheet metal casing inclos ing all of said tubes and said downcomer.

4. In a water tube heater, a fire pot, a pair of separate water tube units located on opposite sides of the fire pot, each comprising upper and lower manifolds connected by a plurality of tubes, the tubes of each unit having their intermediate portions formed into a plurality of superimposed return bends and the bends of each unit extending inwardly toward each other in substantially parallel alignment, a drum between the upper manifolds above the horizontal plane of the upper manifolds, said upper manifolds being free at one end'and having an elbow fitting removably connected to their opposite ends, said fitting being flanged at one end and bolted to the side of said drum, and a downcomer leading from said drum to said lower manifolds.

5. In a water tube heater, a fire pot, a pair of separate water tube units located on opposite sides of the fire pot, each comprising upper and lower manifolds connected by a plurality of tubes, each of said tubes having a riser portion leading from the bottom manifold and a plurality of superimposed return bends, the bends of each unit extending inwardly toward each other in aligned parallel rows over the fire pot to form a fire box, the ends of said tubes above the bends being connected to said upper manifolds, a drum between the upper manifolds and extending above the horizontal plane of the upper manifolds to provide a steam space, said upper manifolds being free at one end and connected at their opposite ends to opposite sides of said drum, a downcomer leading from said drum to said lower manifolds, a casing inclosing said tube unit-s and downcomer and the opposite end of said drum extending through the casing and supported thereon and having a smoke outlet in its rear wall, a vertically disposed baflle plate located intermediate said outlet and said units, and a set of longitudinally disposed oppositely extending bafile plates for causing the heat from the fire box to take a zigzag course thru said return bends.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES F. H. ALMY. 

